Established to cultivate leadership, academic excellence and a commitment to service, the Society of Yeager Scholars has, for four decades, supported high-achieving students as they pursue meaningful impact on campus and beyond. The 40th cohort continues this tradition, bringing together an exceptional group of students from across the region and beyond who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, strong character and a passion for making a difference.
“The students in our new class demonstrate that Marshall University continues to attract and support the best scholars in the country,” said Cara Bailey, assistant dean of the Honors College and director of the Society of Yeager Scholars. “As we celebrate this 40th cohort, we not only honor the legacy of the program but also anticipate the meaningful ways these students will shape the future.”
Selected through a highly competitive process, Yeager Scholars receive a comprehensive scholarship package that includes an enriched academic, leadership and global learning education. Scholars engage in interdisciplinary coursework, community service, study abroad experiences and close mentorship from faculty and program alumni. Additionally, they are members of the university’s Honors College, led by Dean Brian Hoey.
“These students have already distinguished themselves through exceptional achievement, but the true promise of the Society of Yeager Scholars lies in how its students choose to use their gifts,” Hoey said. “As we welcome this 40th cohort, we celebrate not only their accomplishments, but the knowledge, empathy and sense of responsibility they will bring to a world that abundantly needs thoughtful and principled leaders.”
The 40th class is a significant milestone for alumni of the Society, including Mike McCarthy, a member of the inaugural Ashland Class of 1991 and the current president of the program’s board of directors.
“For four solid decades, the Society of Yeager Scholars Program has attracted bright, promising and curious students to Marshall University,” McCarthy said. “The program has both nurtured and challenged their intellectual and leadership development through an enhanced curriculum supplemented by opportunities for service and study at home and abroad. Beyond graduation, it has fostered a lifelong community of engaged alumni who continue to support one another as they leave their marks on their professions, their communities and the world.”
This class is named in honor of Lt. General Anthony (Tony) and Kimberly Crutchfield, Marshall alumni and supporters of the Yeager program.
A 1982 graduate from the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Tony Crutchfield rose to the rank of lieutenant general in his three-decade career in the U.S. Army, where he commanded virtually every level of the Army. Following his military career, Crutchfield joined Boeing as its senior vice president of Army Systems, Defense, Space and Security. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Society of Yeager Scholars.
Kimberly, a 1982 Marshall graduate, was a middle school and high school educator at various military installations. She also taught adult education and college courses and went on to be a school liaison officer with the Department of Defense, assisting military children transitioning to new schools.
The Crutchfields currently reside in Virginia and return to Marshall University often.
The LTG Anthony and Kimberly Crutchfield Class of 2030 includes:
- Elijah Brown, from Wheelersburg High School, Wheelersburg, Ohio, majoring in Biology
- Emily Ferguson, from Fairland High School, Proctorville, Ohio, majoring in Biology
- Taelor Jones, from Cabell Midland High School, Milton, West Virginia, majoring in History
- Rachel Lawson, from Winfield High School, Scott Depot, West Virginia, majoring in Biology
- Trinity McDevitt, from Logan High School, Turtle Creek, West Virginia, majoring in English
- Alana Victoria Romero Lozano, from Frankfort High School, Frankfort, Kentucky, majoring in
Health Sciences - Gavin Simpson, from St. Joseph Central Catholic High School, Ironton, Ohio, majoring in
Biochemistry - Ariel Smith, from Hampshire High School, Romney, West Virginia, majoring in Civil Engineering
- Ashton Warner, from Hurricane High School, Hurricane, West Virginia, majoring in Biochemistry
- Bennett Weimer, from Huntington High School, Huntington, West Virginia, majoring in Finance